Cyber Monday proves to be the biggest shopping day ever! Because of this, according to Bloomberg, Cyber Monday may provide a big revenue boom for state and local governments. Questions: 1. What is the reason for the big revenue boom for state and local governments? 2. According to Kroll Bond Rating Agency, how much revenue… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Video Updates
Red-bottomed shoes
Christian Louboutin’s trademark red-bottomed shoes have become iconic. Beyoncé wore a custom pair of boots for her Coachella performance and these shoes can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. Questions: 1. Where did Christian Louboutin get the idea for the red soles? 2. According to the article, what combination of factors makes the shoes so… Read more »
Free Shipping!
As Walmart, Target and Amazon launch a price war for merchandise in the weeks before Thanksgiving, they are now wooing customers with the promise of fast, efficient, no-cost shipping. On Monday, Amazon upped the ante by expanding free shipping to all customers through the holidays, with no minimum purchase required. Questions: 1. What do Prime… Read more »
Verizon breaking up wireless unit in reorganization
Verizon Communications Inc.’s new chief executive is restructuring the carrier’s business lines, including its massive wireless business, in one of the first major organizational changes under his leadership. Questions: 1. Who are and will be the new leaders of the reorganized company? 2. When will the changes take place? 3. What is the divider in… Read more »
A Look at the Price Tag
According to the Washington Post, with the $750 iPhone XR, arriving in stores on Friday, you have the opportunity to leap ahead to better technology — like a superior camera and more screen — without getting a nosebleed from the price tag. Questions: 1. What is the benefit with the XR battery? 2. What other… Read more »
The Fate of GE Dividends
General Electric’s 119-year-old dividend is a source of pride inside this once-dependable company. Questions: 1. Why is a dividend cut expected? 2. What is the estimate of how much might be cut? 3. Even with the cut, the dividend is expected to do what to GE’s financials? Source: Egan, M. (2018). GE’s 119-year-old dividend is… Read more »
Yum, yum, eat ’em up!
New survey data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that 36.6% of us eat some kind of fast food on any given day. That includes 37.9% of men and 35.4% of women, according to a report published Wednesday by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. Questions: 1. What is the main… Read more »
Tough Times for the IRS
Audits and criminal referrals are down sharply by the IRS since Congress cut the tax agency’s budget and management changed priorities. Questions: 1. How many cases did the IRS’s criminal division bring last year? 2. How many cases did the IRS’s criminal division bring in 2010? 3. According to the IRS’s estimates, how much in… Read more »
Time to get ready for the Holidays! You can’t start too early!
While it’s only September, holiday hiring is ramping up! With historically low unemployment rates plus projections of record-breaking holiday sales, retailers, from major chains to small businesses, are being forced to offer higher pay, catchier perks, and other discounts to attract temporary holiday workers. Questions: 1. What are some of the perks that retailers are… Read more »
From the “Oh My Gosh!” File
Science fiction? No, it is the latest in worker productivity. In 2016, Amazon filed a patent for a device described as a “system and method for transporting personnel within an active workplace”. It looks like a cage large enough to fit a worker and mounted on top of an automated trolley device with a robotic… Read more »